Strand handling apparatus



Jan. 19,1937. v R Q JESSUP 2,068,330

STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 10, 1954 /A/VfA/m? f?. D. JESSUP Peienied Jes. 19, 1937.v l

UNITED STATES aosssso s'raANn nANDLmG marinus Richard D. Jessup,

La Grange, Ill., assigner to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New lI Iork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November- 1o,`1934. serial No. '152,435

claims-Jol. 91-55) J This invention relates to a strand handlirigA apparatus,v and more particularly .to an ar rangement for selectively stopping the advancement lof strand material.

In certain types 'of apparatus for coating strands with insulating material, each' strand passes several times over a capstan, through'a coating means around pulleys and through tubes in an oven where the severallayers of coating material are baked upon the strands. An apparatus is shown in my Patent No.1,782,425 of November 25, 1930, fori coating a plurality of strands simultaneously with the use of. a' single oven,.a clutch beingprovided for each caxstan for the purpose "of connecting the capstans to and disconnecting the capstans from the driving v shaft when desired.

intermpting the advancement of strands passing over a positively driven capstan without stopping the capstan. Y

In accordance with'the object, one embodiment of the invention` contemplates positively driven capstans closely positioned upon a drive shaft for advancing a plurality of wires a desired number of times through an enameling oven and clamps respectively positioned to en' gage the wires passing from the capstans for interrupting the movement of selected wires without stopping the other wires being enameled. Upon nrmly clamping the wire further rotation of the capstan slightly slackens or stretches the wire so that thereafter the capstan can continue toA rotate without exerting a pull -on the wire.

Other objects and advantages will beapparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a wire coating apparatus ment of the invention; l l

Fig-2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portionof the apparatus sh'ownin Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of wire coating apparatus illustrating another embodiment of the invention, and v Fig. 4 is afragmentary -sectional view or a wire coating apparatus illustrating another em- 5()V bodiment of the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, reference numeral I0 vdesignates capstans xedly mounted upon a shaft I.I which. is continuously driven by any suit lble mechanism (not shown). The capstans I@ are provided with a plurality fragmentary sectional view of aillustratingv one embodi- I1, forming a coating An object o! the invention is to provide for 'oven I5 which is heated The capstans I0 are wardly moving sides able clamping members of peripheral grooves forreceiving convolutions I2 of wires I3 which are to be coated. The wires I3 pass from supply reels (not shown) beneath and partially around idler pulleys Il' and then pass upwardly through tubesin an 5 oven I5 to their respective capstans III. The threading of each wire is continued around the pulleys I land the capstans III until the desired.. number .of convolutions have been threaded through the apparatus. T he wires, in passing 1o around the pulleys Il, are submerged in a bath of coating material I6, carried by a receptacle for the flrst convolution of each wire as it passes'upwardly through the oven l5, and an additional coating for each 15 subsequent convolution of the wires as they pass through the bath I6 and upwardly through the.

at a desired temperature to bake the coating "material upon the Wires. 20 The wiresA I3 pass from the last grooves ofthe capstans III through grooves in idler pulleys I8 j to takeup reels I9 upon which the wires are distributed. The takeup reels I9 may be driven in the conventional manner through friction 25 clutches to place a desired tension on the wire. driven in the direction of Fig. 1 and at the downclamping devices indicated generally at are positioned to` clamp all of 30 the convolutions of each wire between the cap-` the arrow shown in lstans andl the idlerpulleys IB for the'purpose of stopping the advancement of the wires when desired. The clamping devices consist of brackets '2l rigidly mounted places upon the oven I5 and having vertically extending iixed" clamping portions 22 into. ensagement with which the convolutionsof the wires may be pressed. Y Verticallyrgxtending portions 23 of the brackets 2l pivotally support 40 cams 24 which normally rest in the positions shown in Fig. 1 and at theright in Fig. 2, but which may be actuated by any suitable means such as hand levers .2i-to cause them to force movable clamping jaws y26 toward thef-convolu- 45 tions of wires to move the convolutions of wires into. close engagement with the iixed members 22. In the unit at the left inFig. 2 the handle 25 is shown in its actuated position. The movl resilient members or springs 21 which are xedly supported" at theirV lower ends on horizontally extending portions 28- of the brackets 2l.

During the normal .operation ofthe wire coating apparatus. the convolutions of the wires will- 55.

at suitable or convenient 26 are mounted upon 50 I pass freely between the clamping members 22 and 25, but in the event that it is desired to stop the advancement of one ofthe wires, it is possible to do this withoutstopping the entire l apparatus. In this type of apparatus several wires may be coated simultaneously but for the purpose of illustration only two are shown. The capstans l are rotated continuously and with the provision of the clamping units 20 the advancement of any one of the wires may be" stopped, allowing the apparatus to continue the in Fig. 2 the cam 24 of the clamping unit 20 `volutions of wire I3 shown at the left in Fig. 2, will move its respective movable clamping member 25 toward the convolutions of wire forcing them into rm engagement with the fixed portion 22 and hold them against downward movement. By clamping the convolutions of the strand at this position sumcient slack will be formed at the capstan to cause the capstan to lose its friction on the wire and continue to rotate without advancing the wire.. The friction clutch of the takeup reel I3 will be ineifective to rotate the reel as long as the clamping unit 25 is closed. When it is desirable to continue the advancement of the wire, the clamping unit 20 is released by swinging the `lever 25 in a clockwise direction to return the cam 24 to its normal position and allow the resilient member 21 to force the movable clamping member 25 away from the convolutions of the wire. The takeup reel will be rotated through the friction clutch as soon as the clamping unit releases the convolutions of wire, thus tahngup the slack 'in the wire and reestablishing the traction between the convolutions of wire and the capstan.

Fig. 3 illustrates 'the clamping member when disposed between a and the takeup reel in a type of machine in which the loops of wire pass over idler pulleys both at themachineand the Acapstan draws the wire from the nal idler pulley. In this figure the conpass upwardly through the tubes inthe o ven I and over an idler pulley 35 rotatably mounted upon a shaft 3|. The wire in 'from the last groove of the pulley 35 passes over an idler.pulley 32 and dqwn and arounda positively driven capstan 33. A shaft 34 upon which the -capstan 33 is mounted is rotated continuously by any suitable'means (not shown). The wire I3, after from the capstanf33, passes through theclamping unit 25 and through a groove in an idler pulley 35 to a takeup reel 35 which is driven in any suitable manner preferably through a friction clutch mechanism. The bracket 25 bears-the same reference numerals as Vthat shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in that the construction is substantially the same, 'and this clamping member may be mounted uponany suitable support 31. In this embodiment of the invention the wire is coated in the manner hereinbefore described in regard to Fig. 1, the only diiference in operation being that the wire is advanced through thel rotation ofthe capstan 33 andin order to stop the advancement of the wire the clamping unit 2l is closed by the actuation of the lever v25, causing the wire to become loose Aupon the capstan. The

friction clutch for the takeup reel is constructedlwire upon the capstan 33,

terclockwise moving with it the adjacent clamppositively driven capstan p and bottom of the enameling `vided for actuating the clamps,

t 'Elecmr meansl including so as to be ineective for rotating the takeup reel as long as the wire is held by the clamping unit. The advancement ofthe wire may again be brought about by opening the clamping unit 20 through the actuation of the lever 25, allow- 5 ing the ,ftakeup reel to be rotated to tighten the thus re-establishing the traction and continuing the advancement of Fig. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the invention, the arrangement of which is identical tqthat shown in Fig. 1 with the exception of the clamping unit. 'I'he clamping unit shown in this tlgure consists of clamping jaws 40 pivotally mounted upon a bracket 4I which is fixed to the oven I5 or any suitable support. The shafts which constitute the pivots for the clamping jawsare ilxed thereto, one of the shafts having a lever 42 fixed thereto adjacent its midpoint, the inner ends of the lever carrying a pin, while the other shaft has a link 43 fixed thereto and extending toward the lever where a slotin the link receives the pin of the lever to operal' tively connect. the link and the lever together. In the present illustration of this embodiment the adjacent surfaces of the clamping members 4i) are arcuate in sha but these surfaces may be corrugated or made irregular for the purpose of increasing their holding eii'ect upon the con-l volutions of the wire I3 when actuated. Usually, however, smooth surfaces as shown will effectively hold the convolutions of wire against advancement. To close the clamping unit shown in this figure, the lever 42 is moved couning jaw and simultaneously pulling the vlink 43 downwardly, causing the other clamping .laws to be moved inwardly toward the convolutions of wire, and as the clamping jaws are moved their adjacent surfaces will clamp the convolutions of Z wire holding them against advancement. The A capstan i0 is rotated continuously and as soon as the clamping Aunitis closed the capstan will continue the advancement ofthe wire-until the wire is'loose thereupon after which the capstan will continue to rotate withou advancing the wire. The clamping unit may released from the wire by swinging the lever 42 clockwise to move the clamping Jaws 4I into positions .shown in Fis. 4 after which the provided for operating clamps, understood that automatic Ameans but it should be may be profor example, Fig. 4 of the of March 26,. of the moving a mechanical means as lahown in patent to Stastney No. 1,706,754 1929, operated under the control strand for controlling the clutch mechanism may be adapted for actuating the clamps shown in applicants drawing.

al solenoid operaated under the control oi the ad strand as shown in the patent to Serrell, Jr. No. 334,618 of January 19, 1886, may be provided for actuating the clamps.

Itwill beunderstood thatthenatmeand embodiment of the invention herein described are merelyillustrative and that many changes and modicationsmay be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.,

2,oes,sso

What isclaimed is: 1. In a strand handling apparatus, a continuously running capstan for receiving and advancing rstrand material, means for rotating said capstan, and clamping means for gripping the strand material and holding it against advancement on the capstan without stopping the rotation of said capstan.

2. In: a strand handling apparatus, a continuously running capstan for receiving and advancing strand material, means ior rotating said capstan, and clamping means'ior gripping the strand material after it passes from the capstan for holding the strand material against advancement without stopping the rotation of the capstan. the rotation oi' the capstan continuing the advancement of the strand material until it becomes loose thereupon.

3.` In a strand handling apparatus, a capstan having a plurality of grooves. therein for receiving and advancing a plurality of convolutions of strand material, and clamping means for gripping the convolutions of strand material simultaneously after they pass from the capstan for simultaneously stopping the advancement of the convolutions of the strand material.

4. Ina strand handling apparatus, a capstan for receiving and advancing strand material, means for rotating said capstan, clamping members positioned adjacent the strand material passing from said capstan, and means for actuating one or more of said clamping members for causing the strand material to be gripped therebetween for holding the strand material against advancement during the rotation of the capstan.

5. In a wire 4enameling machine, means for guiding and advancing a plurality of wires each through a plurality of elongated convolutions, said means comprising a. plurality of capstans mounted on a common drive shaft, means for applying enamel to said convolutions and baking 'it thereon, and clamping means for gripping one of said wires to stop its advancement without stopping said drive shaft.

RICHARD D. JESSUP. 

